Black Monkey.

Copper engraved plate, colored, 9" x 11 1/2". Matted, hinged at the top, some even toning and aging; otherwise in very good condition, with a clean and bright impression. George Edwards (1694-1773) was born in Essex, and was apprenticed as a child to a merchant in London. He preferred a more artistic career, and eventually set up his own studio. The naturalist and artist Mark Catesby taught him how to etch, and this led to publishing four volumes of his hand colored engravings with related text under the title A Natural History of Uncommon Birds. The first volume came out in 1743, and the final volume was published in 1751. This plate shows a small black monkey holding some fruit. According to the notation on the illustration the image was supposed to represent actual size. ODB.